“Chelsea showed a lot of faith in me” - Portugal starlet Quenda on finally arriving in England | OneFootball

Quenda is settling in at Chelsea [Getty Images]

Geovany Quenda has completed his first week of pre-season training at Chelsea, arriving at the club 16 months after agreeing a move from Sporting.

The sales of both Quenda, 19, and teammate Dário Essugo to Chelsea were announced by Sporting in March last year, with the Portuguese club netting a total of €74.4m for the pair. However, while Essugo joined the Blues last summer, Quenda remained in Lisbon for another year before switching to Stamford Bridge.

Quenda has signed remarkably a long-term deal, tying himself to Chelsea until 2034, by which time the teenager will have turned 27. Chelsea reported for the first day of pre-season under new boss Xabi Alonso last Thursday, with Quenda now a week into his Chelsea career and looking forward to the new chapter.

“For me it’s a very proud moment. Obviously, to wear the Chelsea shirt, such a historic club, for me it’s a very proud moment, “ Quenda told the club’s in-house media. “It feels good to be joining Chelsea, of course. They are a good team. I’m excited to play at Stamford Bridge.

"The Premier League is the best league. It is the best league and us players always have the dream of reaching the highest level. So obviously I have dreamed of playing in the Premier League.

‘The club has shown faith in me and I am proud to be here, proud to be part of this club. I am excited to work with my team-mates and the manager, Xabi Alonso. I'm a very hard-working young person and I like to help my team. I want to be someone known for having the right mentality to help my team-mates and who does their best for the club to win trophies.”

Portuguese support

Quenda will find countrymen Essugo and Pedro Neto in the ranks, which should help his adaptation process. As should the presence of a strong family support structure, with several of his relatives making the trip to help his first days in the English capital last week.

“Yes, [my family] are the people who have always been by my side, always gave me good advice, always tried to help me, give me good conditions,” Quenda said. “They have always been by my side and, for me, having these people here today is a reason to be proud, because they have always been with me, helped me, and obviously for me it is good to have them here with me.

“I always got advice from my parents, who told me to always listen to people. Advice should never be rejected and, for me, I always listen, even if it is from a person I have never seen in my life. If I get advice, I will always receive that advice well.

“I also have my father, he is here with me. He has helped me a lot and, obviously, other people. My agents are also helping.

“Obviously [it’s good to have Portuguese players here] because of the language and other things as well. Essugo told me that things in England are not easy, this league is not easy.

Obviously, I have a good relationship with him, because we have already been together in the national team as well. At Sporting we did not manage to play together, because he left at the start of the season, but I talked with him after he left.

“Neto also talked to me when I arrived here, when I came to do my recovery work. And we were together at the national team camp and he talked to me, gave me good advice.”

As for inspirational figures both and Chelsea and beyond, Quenda’s answers will not shock:

“Everyone remembers [Eden] Hazard, he was a player who left his mark on Chelsea a lot. That is my main memory of Chelsea.

“From Sporting? Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael Leão and Nuno Mendes recently.”